Life Demanding; Grief Overwhelming - Feb. 2nd, 2025
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· 4 viewsPastor Walker urges Christians to rest in Christ in the midst of their grief.
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Text: Numbers 20:1–29
1 Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there. 2 And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3 And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD! 4 And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there? 5 And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink. 6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them. 7 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. 9 And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. 10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. 12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. 13 This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.
14 And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us: 15 How our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us, and our fathers: 16 And when we cried unto the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border: 17 Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country: we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells: we will go by the king’s high way, we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed thy borders. 18 And Edom said unto him, Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword. 19 And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing any thing else, go through on my feet. 20 And he said, Thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out against him with much people, and with a strong hand. 21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: wherefore Israel turned away from him.
22 And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor. 23 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, 24 Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor: 26 And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there. 27 And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28 And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount. 29 And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.
Pre-Introduction
Transition from the Transfiguration (previous study)
Peter: From Confrontation to Confusion
What I initially thought to be an interruption, turned out to be a deeper continuation. Let me explain.
I left off in my last message to continue today with the second major thought: The Attendant Saints (at Jesus Transfiguration, see Luke 9:30-31)
30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
Today, we will look ever so briefly at the first of these two saints, Moses, particularly, the episode in Numbers 20. As we do so, let’s be careful to observe the following connections of Biblical truth:
Natural human wisdom and strength at some point, must be doomed to fail. Put not stock in any human leader, the current administration included.
God is sovereign. Period. Not, “God has more power.” No, He is on a completely separate plane. There would be no power except it be given from God above. He is not “one of many, who happens to be better than the rest,” He is God ALONE, and there is none other like Him.
Unbelief is sin, of the most grievous nature.
Sin, when it is finished brings forth death, and can effect no other outcome except death.
In consideration of these two saints who attended Jesus’ Transfiguration, each of them, along with John the Baptist (who also had a prominent OT/NT Role in the life and ministry of the Messiah), as Alfred Eidersheim notes, were men plagued by failure, due to their unbelief. Moses, here in Numbers 20, Elijah, when he was led to the Mountain of God through his fear and failure running from Jezebel, and John the Baptist, in his episode of disbelief that Jesus was the Messiah, in sending his disciples to investigate whether He was the Christ or not.
In contrast, Jesus stands as superior to each. He is a Greater than Moses. He is a Greater than Elijah. He is a Greater than John. But even Peter, in his confusion, conflated the two, and desired to build equal tabernacles for each, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. Luke informs us, he didn’t know what he was saying. Because Jesus is not on equal footing with them.
Introduction:
Introduction:
Acknowledge the pain of loss and the weight of receiving multiple grief-laden notices in one day.
Recognize the reality that life continues demanding of us even when we are grieving.
Set the congregation’s eyes on the faithfulness of God in all seasons—He remains steadfast even when life feels unbearable.
Psalm 34:18; 1 Thess. 4:13; 2 Cor. 1:3-4.
3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
WATER FROM THE ROCK (20:1–13)
Numbers 20:1–13
EXEGETICAL IDEA
Moses and Aaron’s failure to show God as holy disqualifies them from leading Israel into the Promised Land.
THEOLOGICAL FOCUS
God’s servants must reflect God’s character.
PREACHING IDEA
Moses was an imperfect servant, but Christ is the perfect Son of God.
PREACHING POINTERS
According to the divine verdict, we know that Moses and Aaron sinned in what they did in this pericope. Most Christian leaders, however, can probably look at times in their lives when they have said and done things that seem worse in the face of much less provocation. It’s natural that our hearts go out to Moses: he was human, just like us, and this was the straw that broke his back. Nevertheless, God’s holy standards are not lowered for any of his servants, and there were real consequences for his and Aaron’s sin.
One of the marks of the honesty and trustworthiness of the biblical witness is that it is unflinching when it comes to reporting both the successes and failures of its main characters. This deep honesty is all the more remarkable when it comes to the presentation of Jesus Christ. In a book that depicts the sins of the heroes of the faith, Jesus alone is depicted as sinlessly perfect. No sin is reported of him, because there was no sin to report. Moses and Aaron were servants of God, and they were imperfect—like all of us—but Jesus is the Son of God, and he is infinitely perfect and matchless in every way. Moses’s sin prevented him from going into the Promised Land, but Jesus leads his redeemed people into eternal glory in the new heaven and earth. Moses was an imperfect servant, but Christ is the perfect Son of God.
LITERARY STRUCTURE AND THEMES
This unit returns to narrative, following two chapters of religious legislation (Numbers 18–19). It revisits Israel’s propensity toward grumbling but is unique in its condemnation of Moses for his response. It begins with a brief statement about the death of Miriam (20:1), followed by the people’s complaint (20:2–5). God appears and gives instructions to Moses (20:6–8). However, Moses does not follow them, leading to serious consequences (20:9–12). The unit concludes with a brief declaration, naming the place of the encounter (20:13).
Key themes of this unit include Israel’s ongoing failures to trust God to meet their needs and the absolute necessity of bearing witness to God’s holiness. Moses’s departure from God’s instructions is not a minor matter; it undermines God’s presentation of himself to his people.
•The Death of Miriam (20:1)
•The People’s Complaint (20:2–5)
•God’s Appearance (20:6–8)
•Moses’s Response and Its Consequences (20:9–12)
•Summary Declaration (20:13)
EXPOSITION
Israel’s grumbling spirit has not been quenched despite the consequences of previous rebellions and ample evidence of God’s ability to meet their needs. They again complain about their food and the absence of water. The provision of water from a rock recalls Exodus 17:1–7, prior to their arrival at Sinai. However, Moses’s flawed response causes the stories to diverge. Instead, this unit reveals that Moses’s failure to show God as holy disqualifies him from leading Israel into the Promised Land.
I. Grief Comes to Every Household (Numbers 20:1, 22–29)
I. Grief Comes to Every Household (Numbers 20:1, 22–29)
“Then came the children of Israel… and Miriam died there, and was buried there.” (v. 1)
1 Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.
“And Aaron… died there in the top of the mount.” (v. 28)
22 And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor. 23 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, 24 Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor: 26 And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there. 27 And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28 And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount. 29 And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.
Miriam and Aaron were pillars in Israel’s journey—their deaths were painful reminders that no one is immune to loss.
The Death of Miriam (20:1)
20:1. This verse contains a brief announcement of Miriam’s death. She has been absent from Numbers since she and Aaron challenged Moses’s leadership (Num. 12:1–16). The brevity of the commentary reflects her fall from grace. She once led the whole nation in joyful song (Exod. 15:21–22), but her death merits only a passion mention.
The timing of her death and the rest of the narrative is uncertain. This verse identifies it as “in the first month” (בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן) but does not specify the year. Further on, Numbers 20:22–29 recounts the death of Aaron, which the wilderness itinerary places in the fortieth year (Num. 33:38–39). This suggests that Miriam’s death is in the same year (Ashley 1993, 380; Cole 2000, 323–24). Her death is thus a sign of the end of the condemned generation and may prefigure the imminent downfall of Moses and Aaron.
Miriam’s Death
The timing of this narrative emphasizes the selectivity of the biblical narrator. The forty-year period of wandering is announced in Numbers 14:33. If this narrative occurs at the tail end of that period, then Korah’s rebellion and its aftermath are the only stories drawn from the intervening thirty-eight years (Schnittjer 2006, 410). Whatever else happened during that period is not deemed necessary for the biblical audience to know. Gane turns alliterative here, referring to this interval as “dull decades of death in the desert” (Gane 2004, 672).
Miriam’s death and the subsequent narrative are set at Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin.1 Kadesh was the place from which the spies entered the land, prompting Israel’s great rebellion and its forty years of wandering. This location thus hangs “an ominous cloud” over the rest of the narrative (Allen 2012, 281).
Just as Israel felt their absence, we too are reeling from the weight of loss—some of it expected, some of it tragic.
Grief is not a sin. Even Jesus wept (John 11:35). But grief must drive us toward God, not away from Him.
35 Jesus wept.
Ecc. 3:1-4; Ps. 90:12; Heb. 9:27.
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Application:
This morning, some of us are mourning the loss of loved ones.
Others are grieving the state of our world—violence, economic hardship, and national decline, despite the recent massive shifts in political power. America’s problem is not in the Statehouse, or the Courthouse, or the Whitehouse, but in the Church-house, as Peter reminds us the it is high time that judgment begin at the house of God, and he wrote that to the Roman Empire over two millennia ago, and things have not changed much since his day. The Bible is still just as relevant for us as it has ever been, even with all of our advances in technology and intelligence. We still live in a fallen world, and are of few days which are full of trouble. Our nation and the world suffered tragedy after tragedy last week. We cannot just stick our heads in the sand and pretend that we are not hurting. Death is a supernatural enemy, that must be fought with supernatural strength. We don’t have it in us by ourselves. We were never created to handle the brunt of death.
Encourage the congregation to bring their grief before God, rather than turning to unbelief.
II. The Dangers of Unbelief in the Midst of Grief (Numbers 20:2–13)
II. The Dangers of Unbelief in the Midst of Grief (Numbers 20:2–13)
“And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.” (v. 2)
2 And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
A. Pain distorts perception.
A. Pain distorts perception.
The Israelites let their suffering push them into accusation rather than faith.
The People’s Complaint (20:2–5)
20:2. Again, the people face a shortage of water and as on previous occasions, “they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.” The absence of water provides the first echo of Exodus 17:1–7.
20:3–5. The people’s complaints are prefaced with the expression “[they] chode (i.e., contended) with Moses.” This comes from the Hebrew root ריב which typically has legal connotations but can reference other types of disputes. Notably, it is also found in the parallel story of Exodus 17:2 (cf. Gen. 13:7; 26:20). The Israelites then launch into series of familiar invectives. They express that it would have been better to die with their fellow Israelites (cf. Num. 14:2), likely referring to the consequences of Korah’s rebellion (Ashley 1993, 381). They accuse Moses and Aaron of bringing Israel into the wilderness to kill them (cf Num. 16:12–14) and complain about the lack of variety in their diet (cf. Num. 11:5). The capstone complaint is in 20:5b, where they declare that there is no water to drink.
The Israelites’ complaint is justifiable on one level; a lack of water was a serious threat. However, the accusation that Moses and Aaron deliberately sought to destroy the nation and the protests about the absence of certain food are unfounded. Further, these complaints suggest a failure to remember God’s many acts of provision and the consequences of previous complaints. There is a crisis at hand, but the Israelites’ hyperbolic claims threaten to obscure it.
In grief, we often look for someone to blame—God, leaders, or circumstances.
When people say, “Why would God let this happen?”—we must redirect the heart to trust in His wisdom and love.
Job. 1:21-22; Isa. 55:8-9.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
God’s Appearance (Num 20:6–8)
20:6. Moses and Aaron do not respond to the complaints of the Israelites. Instead, they approach the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and fall on their faces, recalling the response to the report of the spies (Num. 14:5), Korah’s challenge (Num. 16:4), and the people’s grumbling after Korah’s judgment (Num. 16:45). It is a “position of entreaty and intercession,” meant to avert the expected wrath of God (Cole 2000, 325). YHWH’s glory then appears, presumably in the form of a fire-encased cloud (Num. 9:15; Milgrom 1990, 165). The only other complaint narrative where this occurs is Israel’s refusal to enter the Promised Land, which also took place at Kadesh (Num. 14:10). This parallel may prefigure the outcome of this narrative (Ashley 1993, 382).
20:7–8. God commissions Moses to redress the situation and provide water. Noticeably absent from the divine speech are signs of anger or threats of judgment (Allen 2012, 283). Indeed, “no evidence of God’s displeasure is reported” (Lee 2003b, 229). God issues seemingly straightforward instructions, directing Moses to take the staff, gather the congregation along with Aaron, and speak to the rock.2 This is of course different from the instruction to strike the rock in Exodus 17:5. However, the result is to be the same. God declares to Moses that in doing this, “thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock” (20:8b). God thus promises to meet the most immediate concern, without comment on Israel’s additional complaints. This is “surprisingly merciful” (Pressler 2017, 178).
Staff (20:8). The staff was taken from the Lord’s presence, implying this is the staff of Aaron that budded, blossomed, and produced almonds in the divine confirmation of his priestly authority after the Korah rebellion.167 It was kept before the ark of the testimony as a sign to any future grumbling rebels so that their murmuring might be summarily dismissed (17:10).
The actions of Moses have been examined against the backdrop of Egyptian and Mesopotamian magicians and diviners as well as in the context of the nature of God as seen in the Pentateuch. Magical acts in the ancient world were usually performed after appropriate sacrifices were made, ritual actions performed, and incantations recited. In these ways, Moses’ behavior here would not have looked or sounded like that of the Egyptian lector priests (the magicians that he faced during the plagues, see comments on Gen. 41:8; Ex. 7:11). Nevertheless, Moses’ actions were tantamount to that of an idolatrous pagan magician, in which the prophet ascribes miraculous, almost god-like, powers to himself and Aaron. Israel must be freed of its pagan background.168
B. Moses’ failure warns us.
B. Moses’ failure warns us.
Moses was a seasoned leader, but even he allowed frustration and sorrow to push him to disobedience.
Num. 20:11. The divergence between God’s instructions and Moses’s actions continues as Moses takes the staff and strikes the rock twice. On one hand, he is successful in providing water, but on the other, he has clearly not followed God’s commands. The verse begins with a statement that “Moses lifted up his hand.” Notably, this collocation (from the verbal root רום “to lift up” with יָד “hand” as its object) resembles the description of the “high-handed” (בְּיָד רָמָה) sin which uses an adjective from the same root in Numbers 15:30.5 Further, God’s command to speak to the rock carries an implicit corollary: do not strike it, even though that has worked before (Burnside 2017, 133). The physical action of raising a hand to strike thus also points toward direct defiance of God.
Moses then strikes the rock twice. This is a further difference from Exodus 17:6 where it appears that he only struck it once. This is presumably a reflection of his exasperation with the repeated complaints of the Israelites; a physical outlet for his frustration no doubt felt appropriate. However, the primary note about this action is not the number of blows, but the fact that he struck the rock at all. The rock represented the means by which God would show his benevolence; physically striking it reflects lashing out at God (Cole 2000, 328–29).6
Even though Moses did not follow God’s commands, God graciously permitted this action to provide water for the community and its animals. Just as God preserved his relationship with the Israelites when they rebelled against Moses and Aaron, God now preserves the life of the community when its leaders fail.
Water gushed out (20:11). No parallel accounts exist in the ancient Near East of deities providing water in this way. But geographers and biblical interpreters have written of the extensive aquifers that exist beneath the surface of the sedimentary rock strata of the Sinai peninsula. Oases such as those at Serabit al-Khadem, Ain Hawarah, and Ain el-Qudeirat (Kadesh Barnea) provide examples of such abundant water supply.169 Still, aquifers would not normally provide nearly enough water to care for the needs of a group the size of the Israelites.
Num. 20:12. God’s grace does not preclude judgment on disobedience. God addresses Aaron and Moses and states that they will not lead the community into the Promised Land “Because ye believed me not to sanctify me.” The verb “believe” (הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם) reflects a willingness to rely on God which is absent here; Moses instead substitutes his own strength and judgment. This constitutes a failure to “sanctify me” (God) (לְהַקְדִּישֵׁנִי), a serious transgression. God’s holiness sets him apart from flawed, sinful creatures; when Moses acts out of a fit of pique, it poorly reflects the divine nature. As God’s representative, he here makes God appear “as emotionally flawed as human beings” (Lioy 2020, 43).
There is a certain symmetry to the judgment passed down on Moses and Aaron. It was at Kadesh in Numbers 14 that the first generation disqualified itself from entering the Promised Land because of its stubborn defiance of God’s will. Now, nearly a generation later at Kadesh, Moses sets himself against God’s will and, along with Aaron, receives a similar fate (Noonan 2020, 85).
What Is Moses’s Sin?
Those studying this text have wrestled throughout the centuries with the relationship between Moses’s transgression and its consequences. After a lifetime of faithful service, does Moses’s behavior warrant the penalty he receives? It is also noteworthy that in later references to this incident, Moses places the blame on the Israelites (Deut. 1:37–40; 3:22–29; 4:21–24). However, whenever the text has God speak, he places the blame on Moses (Num. 20:13; 27:12–14; Deut. 32:48–52). The historical reflection on this event preserved in Psalm 106:32–33 castigates both parties, charging Israel with rebellion and Moses with speaking rashly. Thus, the balance of biblical tradition does ascribe blame to Moses.
The exact nature of Moses’s transgression is also a point of contention. Milgrom lists ten different options, broken into three broader categories: Moses’s action of striking the rock, Moses’s character, and Moses’s speech (Milgrom 1990, 448). These reflect a desire to specify one element of the story as the tipping point that doomed Moses. The wide range of possibilities has even led some to conclude that the exact nature of the transgression is deliberately ambiguous, giving its readers the opportunity to “wrestle with and converse regarding the story itself” (Schnittjer 2006, 414).
In contrast, a close reading of the text reveals problems with nearly everything Moses says or does. He receives direct instructions from God and does not obey them. Further, he evinces more anger and frustration than God at the complaints of the Israelites, perhaps taking upon himself the role of enacting judgment (Allen 2012, 283). Finally, he inserts himself (and Aaron) into the provision of water, asking “shall we bring forth?” when his appointed role is to enact God’s declared will (Burnside 2017, 139). This may suggest that he is acting like a pagan miracle workers (Milgrom 1990, 454). Taken together, Moses’s words and actions reflect flagrant defiance of God which understandably incurs divine judgment.
The fates of Moses and Aaron reflect those of the first generation of Israelites in Numbers 14. Both defied God’s instructions and both ultimately failed to reach the Promised Land. However, in both cases God mitigated the punishment (Boda 2009, 94–95). God did not destroy Israel but permitted the children of the rebels to experience his covenant promises. God also does not remove Moses and Aaron from leadership or immediately demand their lives. Aaron is memorialized by the community (Num. 20:22–29) while Moses leads Israel until it is right on the border of the Promised Land. God even grants him a glimpse of the land right before his death (Deut. 34:1–4).
Summary Declaration (Num. 20:13)
20:13. This unit concludes by calling the place where this occurred “the water of Meribah.” This is a pun on the verbal root ריב (“to strive/contend”). The name reflects the conflict that occurred (cf. Num. 11:3, 34). The same name was given to the site of the previous conflict over water (Exod. 17:7). Other passages refer to this location as “Meribah-Kadesh” to distinguish it (Num. 21:14; Deut. 32:51; Ezek. 48:28). It is perfectly understandable that a similar course of events would occasion a reuse of this name.
The final clause announces that God “was sanctified” in these events.7 This of course is a direct challenge to Moses and Aaron who failed to demonstrate God’s holiness. God demonstrates his essential nature through both his gracious provision of water and his judgment against those who misrepresented him (Cole 2000, 330).
Instead of speaking to the rock as God commanded, he struck it in anger and frustration.
Unbelief cost Moses dearly—he would see the Promised Land, but never enter it.
When grief and pressure mount, we must be careful that our pain does not turn into rebellion against God.
Heb. 3:12; Prov. 3:5-6; James 1:20.
Application:
Our nation is in moral and economic decline, much like Israel wandered in the wilderness.
Many today feel dry, weary, and hopeless—inflation is rising, hardship is increasing.
But blaming God will not bring life; faith will. We must speak to the Rock (Christ) in trust, rather than striking out in frustration.
III. Faith Sustains Us Through Grief (Numbers 20:8–9, 23–29)
III. Faith Sustains Us Through Grief (Numbers 20:8–9, 23–29)
“Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together… and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water.” (v. 8)
A. God had already provided the answer.
A. God had already provided the answer.
The Rock (a picture of Christ – 1 Cor. 10:4) had already been smitten once in Exodus 17.
This time, Moses was only to speak—because Christ was crucified once for all.
The provision was there; Moses just needed to obey and trust.
Phil. 4:19; John 7:37-38.
B. Aaron’s passing shows that the work continues.
B. Aaron’s passing shows that the work continues.
God had already prepared Eleazar to take up the priesthood.
Death is not the end of God’s plan—His work continues.
Our calling remains, even when grief shakes us.
2 Tim. 4:7; Rom. 8:28.
Application:
We must guard our hearts. Grief does not give us an excuse for unbelief.
Our hope is in Christ. The Rock still gives water. God’s provision does not change because of our emotions.
God’s work in our lives is not over. The fact that we are still here means there is a purpose for us today.
Conclusion: Look to Christ, Our Rock
Conclusion: Look to Christ, Our Rock
Moses’ failure teaches us: In our grief, we must trust God’s word, not our emotions.
Aaron’s passing teaches us: God’s work continues even when those we love are gone.
The Rock points us to Christ: He was already smitten for us. Speak to Him in faith, and He will sustain you.
Acknowledge the grief in the room—but remind them of God’s sustaining grace.
Challenge them to turn grief into trust—unlike Israel, who let hardship turn them to doubt.
Point them to Christ, the Rock—who remains faithful, even in sorrow.
Through this message, I have aimed to guide us as God’s people through our shared grief and keep us anchored in faith. With all the tenderness of heart and steadfastness of our loving Heavenly Father, I have sought to lead you to the Rock who continues to provide water in dry places. Therefore, I conclude this message with a reassurance of hope—we are not alone, and God is still at work, even in the valley of sorrow.
